The Yankees are already looking ahead at third base, and the name drawing real attention is a powerful left-handed bat from Japan.
That player is Teruaki Sato, the 27-year-old infielder for the Hanshin Tigers. New York has scouted him, and the fit is obvious enough to see why. The Yankees have spent much of this season trying to manufacture offense, and Ryan McMahon’s spot at third has become part of the larger conversation about where this lineup needs more damage.
McMahon is still under contract through 2027, and his glove gives the Yankees a steady presence. The bat has not matched that security.
In 2026, he is hitting .218 with a .284 on-base percentage, a .376 slugging percentage and a .660 OPS, along with 10 homers and 31 RBIs. He did help with a two-run single in New York’s 4-1 comeback win over Seattle on Tuesday and a walk-off sacrifice fly against Atlanta on Aug. 11, but his season as a whole has stayed below his career standard.
That is why Sato has become more than just another international scouting name.
According to Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon, the Yankees were one of 10 MLB teams that sent evaluators to Koshien Stadium in May to watch him. The Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, Mets, Angels, Diamondbacks, Reds, Tigers and Rangers were also there. As Sato’s possible jump to MLB gets closer, that look now carries more weight.
MLB clubs expect Sato to be a posting candidate after the 2026 season, though Hanshin controls whether he is actually made available. During winter contract talks, Sato asked for permission to chase an MLB move after this season, but the Tigers did not promise that would happen.
The Yankees are not alone in the chase. A New York Post report this week listed New York, the Mets, Dodgers and Phillies among the teams pursuing Sato.
Philadelphia’s interest has been especially visible. Sports Nippon reported that Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly was part of a five-person group evaluating him in Japan.
The appeal is straightforward. Sato is a third baseman with left-handed power, the kind of profile that can look especially dangerous in Yankee Stadium.
He backed up his breakout 2025 season by taking his game even higher. Official Nippon Professional Baseball statistics show he hit .277 with a .345 on-base percentage and a .579 slugging percentage that year for Hanshin. He led the Central League with 40 home runs and 102 RBIs, won the MVP award, added 34 doubles and stole 10 bases.
The production has kept rolling in 2026. Official NPB data showed Sato leading the Central League in batting average, on-base percentage, hits and RBIs while staying near the top of the home run race.
Hanshin’s game log shows he homered on Aug. 7, Aug. 8 and Aug. 10, including a four-hit game against Yakult on Aug.
He is currently hitting .317 AVG, .404 OBP , .622 SLG%, and 1.026 OPS. His broader NPB line, .270/.337/.510/.848, helps explain the buzz, and through July 26 he had 151 home runs in 763 NPB games.
MLB also featured Sato before the 2026 World Baseball Classic as an international hitter whose batted-ball data merited attention. He had already flashed that power against major-league pitching, too, homering off Blake Snell in an exhibition against the Dodgers before the 2025 Tokyo Series.
There are real questions, though. Sato has struck out a lot during his NPB career, and evaluators will have to decide how his contact profile holds up against better velocity. There have also been reports questioning whether he stays at third base long term or eventually slides to first.
That uncertainty matters because the Yankees are not shopping for an open position. McMahon is signed through 2027 on the six-year, $70 million deal he originally signed with Colorado, and Baseball Reference lists him as eligible for free agency after the 2027 season. If Sato becomes available, New York would have to decide whether McMahon stays at third, shifts elsewhere or becomes a trade candidate.
For now, Hanshin still holds the cards. The Yankees’ scouting trip in May and the recent reporting on their interest only confirm that they are in the mix, not that McMahon is on the way out or that Sato will even reach the market this winter.
If Hanshin posts him, the team that signs him would owe the Tigers a release fee tied to the value of his contract under the posting agreement.
That leaves the Yankees with a clear possibility and no certainty. Sato would give them another left-handed bat with real power and a chance to attack the short porch in right. Whether that turns into a Bronx reality depends first on Hanshin, then on how hard the Yankees want to push.
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